Remember me, myself, and the sky
by RoGuEsOuLwRiTeR
Summary: An amnesiac woman struggles to remember her real identity as Lieutenant Avery Todd of the USS Enterprise. Armed only with her crazy dreams, doubted memories, a strange psychiatrist, and the help of the man who comes to read to her, can she remember who she is before its too late?
1. Chapter 1

Hi! so, this may not be updated regularly, and I apologize in advance, but they will be very long chapters, so I hope that sort of makes up for your waits! I hope you enjoy, criticism in reviews is preferred if it's constructive, I would love to see what everyone thinks and what they think should be added or changed! Anyway, here's chapter one of Remember Me, Myself, and the Sky!

* * *

"How do you feel?" the psychiatrist asks, once again trying in vain to probe the young amnesiac woman for answer to the riddle that was her. For the last two months since she had been found passed out on the street, covered in blood from a gash on her head, she had sat here twice a week and told him she wasn't crazy and that she was from the future, that this world was a lie.

"Like I don't belong." She answers, surprising him. He never did seem to get any real answers from her, after all. She looked at him expectantly. "Are you not going to record this?" she asks curious and he nods, turning on the recorder.

"Why don't you feel like you belong here, Avery?" he asks patiently.

"Because, this feels like another world, like I'm living in a lie."

"Do you want to discuss your dreams? Does the man still read to you?" he asks, hoping to encourage her sharing mood. She had told him of dreams she had that told of her real life as a lieutenant on a star ship and of the man that would read to her every night. "He doesn't like reading, says it's boring as hell, but he says that they're my favorite books back home, and he wants me to wake up and snatch the books from his hands." She once had told him when asked.

"There was one. The commander again." She says softly and he nods, waiting for her continue. Most her dreams revolved around four people, an alien commander in particular. "I was on the ground and it felt like I was injured. He appeared in front of me and offered me his hand. He wanted me to take his hand so he could take me to safety. It was so dark and fuzzy, but he was so clear. If I had just taken his hand…." She says, looking like she was reliving a nightmare.

"What happened exactly, Avery? To make you come here?"

"Well, it's a long story." She admits. "You're my only appointment." He reassures her and she sighs.

"It started when I was still in the academy, in my last year of training…." She begins, plunging into a deep story.

* * *

"Come on, Bones! Don't be shy! I won't even punch you back!" Avery Todd coaches her wary older friend into a boxing match, laughing as she danced around the mat, slick blonde hair swinging in its ponytail.

"Don't you lie to me, Avery Todd! You'll whip my ass into the mat before I can blink!" he scolds, circling her and she laughs.

"True enough, but you gotta learn or you'll never pass that test!" she points out, easily falling into a rhythmic bouncing of her heels as she followed his stalling circles around the mat.

"Dammit woman, I'm a doctor not a soldier!" he argues angrily and she shrugs.

"It's required for all Starfleet personal to have at least basic training in some form of combat. You chose hand to hand, I'm going to teach you. It's me or Jim!" she reminds him, and he groans.

"I would prefer Jim, him being, I don't know… a guy!" he says angrily and she gives a barking laugh. "Afraid to make this awkward, McCoy? I'm sorry, bub, because Jim is busy taking the Kobyashi Maru. So face this like a man!" she urges and he strikes, trying to grab her waist. She skirts away and aiming low, managing to sweep his legs from under him and knock him into the mat. "Okay, that went better than expected. You need to work on everything." She says, panting slightly as she gets a drink of water.

"So, Everything? I really am that bad?" he asks as she helps him up, padding over to get a long drink.

"Not bad per say, just out of practice. And shape. And you have no strength. Or focus. Or drive. Or-." She lists off.

"I get it!" he cuts her off, done with his drink. "I'll never be able to do this!" he complains and she waves off his negativity like it was a bug.

"Naw, you just need some hardcore training, which I can happily provide. You just have to get over your gentlemen sophistication, and become fine with haitting a woman, or at least tackling one. Anyway, we have to keep working to whip you into shape." She says brightly. Three hours later, they both returned to his dorm where Jim was waiting, sore and tired from all the training. "Good news! He'll survive his test." Avery says, flopping on the bed.

"Well, I didn't pass." Jim mutters into his pillow. Avery moves to his bed. "It was only your first try, you'll pass eventually. Besides, it is considered unbeatable." She soothes and his smirk soon returns to his face.

"So, now that all of us are having story time, I want to know about your test, Ave." he says and she shakes her head.

"No. You don't."

"I think I do."

"I think you should both shut up and let Avery tell us. It can't have been terrible. You're the best strategist I know and you already know more than basics on the mechanics of teleporting." Bones interrupts their childish squabble and she groans.

"Fine!" The young computer genius sighs, getting comfy on the bed. "Well, it went surprisingly well. It was a simulation of several problems such as crashing, engine failure, mission problems, and Klingon attacks and I had to find near full-proof solution for each one. Relatively easy if you know what you're doing." The strategic genius of the trio explains and they nod. "I nearly gave the wrong solution for one that had multiple possible answers, but it turned out fine and I passed, so I can graduate pretty early."

"Congrats, kid! You better not leave us men behind though." Bones scolds playfully, and she laughs.

"I promise Bones, I'm not going anywhere yet." She glances at her watch, and her expression changes. "Except for right now. I gotta run. See ya." She says, hopping from the bed and scurrying to the door. The boys both shouted their goodbyes as she left, returning to their drinks and reading, mostly their drinks. Avery, on the other hand, went to her comfort zone.

After a few hours, she was deep in thought, strategizing her next move in a hardcore game of 3D chess online when someone came up behind her, replacing her empty can of near coma-inducing energy drink with a full one. "I heard you passed your test." Admiral Pike, the man behind her recruiting and a long-time friend and mentor says, sitting beside her, so she pauses her game to look at him. "Congrats, kid. I knew you could do it with the right incentive." He says and she smiles.

"Thanks, Pike. I almost screwed up. So, how'd you find me?" she asks looking around the room from the safety of her nook in the Starfleet Academy computer lab, that was thankfully open 24\7.

"Are you kidding me, kid? I found you in a place just like this. Remember?" he asks and she lies, shaking her head. "No? You don't remember hacking into the most secure database on the planet when you were 11?" he teases.

"That never happened, but if it had, I would've been 14." She says and he chuckles.

"Really? I remember having to drag you out kicking and screaming, and then you informing me that you had hacked in out of clear boredom."

"Nope, no memory of that whatsoever."

"We had to take away your laptop and then arrest you after you punched one of the officers in the face for calling you missy." He reminds and she laughs nodding.

"Hmm. It's slowly coming back to me. It must have been brain damage from after he electrocuted me with a taser. And you still haven't returned my laptop." She says and he laughs, pulling a battered old laptop from his briefcase.

"Considerate it a congratulatory gift. She's been wiped clean of any information, but functional." He says and she hugs it to her chest.

"Thanks, admiral." She smiles and he smiles back, hugging her with a fatherly compassion. She had come a long way from that meddlesome kid that refused to obey any form of authority, into a young soon to be officer of Starfleet. He had looked after her since she was 14 and had hacked in, giving monthly check ups on her and taking her places she would've never gotten to see in her foster family, included the academy and headquarters, even this very lab, where she had handed the expert's butts to them on shiny platters after they called her skills mediocre. She was as close to a daughter as he had, with Jim like a son.

"Well, I have to go and actually sleep. Try and get some rest, Avery." He urges and she nods, watching him go. She resumed her game, playing well into the night. When she did go to her dorm, she quickly retreated, finding her roommate was… preoccupied. She headed instead to Jim and Bone's room, breaking in and taking the couch to sleep for the night.

* * *

"So, these Bones and Jim characters, they were like brothers to you in these dreams?" he asks, taking deep fascination into this story. It plunged him deep into vividness, like he could almost see this happen in front of him.

"I see Bones more of a big brotherly role model then I do Jim, but Jim is seen more of as my big brother in general. I'm much more protective of Jim, but I look up to Bones."

"Where did you meet them? You haven't explained that." He questions, curious about this. The relationship she had with them was strong, but she had dived into the middle of the story, somewhat, and hadn't explained.

"Well, I first saw Jim at a bar, getting his teeth knocked in by some of the cadets, and then Pike officially introduced us at the academy orientation. We instantly connected, having a criminal record in common." She jokes, chuckling at the 'memory'. "I met Bones a month after beings friends with Jim. Once he realized I was immune to his charms, he introduced me to his roommate, who happened to be Bones. We've been a trio since then."

"And this, Admiral Pike was a fatherly figure to you, growing up?"

"Chris. Christopher. Yeah, he was practically my father. I was bounced between homes a bunch, but he made sure to visit me every month and take me places. He's what inspired me to enter Starfleet. Should I continue?"

"Please do."

"Very well. Um, where was I? Oh, yeah…. Bones was the first to wake up and clearly wasn't happy with me on the couch…"

* * *

"Good god, woman! I thought you left!" I was jolted lazily awake by my good friend's yelling. I sit up and look around. Bones was standing there impatiently, a 5 o'clock shadow on his face as he waited for an explanation. Jim entered the frenzy, wearing only underwear, and yawning still.

"My roommate was preoccupied with Joe, a think that's his name at least, and I thought, us being good friends, you wouldn't mind. I grabbed my own set of clothes." I offered helpfully, seeing as his main problem tended to be my having to borrow clothes. I toss a pair of Jim's pants from the ground to him and he slips them on lazily. "Other way." Bones and I harmonize, used to his groggy morning stupidity. He switches the pant direction to the right way and I go into their bathroom, quickly changing into my Academy athletics shirt and some loose black basketball shorts, in the process of braiding my hair as I walk out.

Both boys had already changed into athletic clothes as well, and Bones went into the bathroom to shave as I laced up my shoes and passed Jim his communicator, and he tossed me my bag carefully. I pulled out my laptop and quickly checked my email (all junk mail, as usual) before putting it back up and slinging it over my shoulder, following the boys out. "So, what's on the agenda? Breakfast, gym, Lunch, classes, bar?" I ask and they shrug.

"I'm game, if I can. Bones?" Jim replies as we pile our trays. I grabbed an apple, a banana nut muffin and some eggs and bacon, and picked up a bottle of chocolate milk, heading to a free table.

"Same as you, Jim, if I can. If not, I guess our dear little bird can stay in the computer lab and play chess all night." He teases and I laugh, playfully throwing a napkin wad at him. He caught it and set it down.

"Are you stalking me now, dear Bones?" I question, knowing for a fact that wasn't it, and sure enough he snorts.

"No, you're madly predictable." He replies, not looking up from his food. "Which is why I know you're pouting." He continues and I immediately stop, not wanting to give him satisfaction, but he smirks anyway, having caught my immediate change.

I look around the mess hall, noticing that a few professors were looking over our way. We were probably in trouble again, but it was hard to tell. I finished my meal relatively quickly and carried my tray to be dumped, nearly running into a professor. He steadied me before I fell on my butt, and I looked up. It was the Vulcan Professor, Professor….. Dang, I swear I knew him from somewhere.

"Thanks. I'm so sorry, I'm a klutz." I apologize, dumping my tray and making my escape back to the table. Jim snickered into his glass of milk until I accidently purposely knocked his drink back, getting it all over him. "You know me, klutzy as usual." I say innocently as he tries to get himself clean.

"Don't be an infant, Avery. Let's go hit the gym before Jim begins to feel homicidal again." Bones says gruffly and we all stand. I grab my bag and pull out my PADD. I fall into step behind Jim and Bones, relying on them to get me to the gym with my face buried in my PADD.

We made it with no further clumsy trips or accidents on my part, which was saying something, it being so early. "Alright, Bones, let's see what little miss sunshine managed to teach you." Jim says, getting in position and I lay twenty credits on the table.

"My money's on Jim."

"That's supportive. Gee, Now I know I can do it!"

"Sarcasm is hurtful. Jim has more experience fighting, even if it is dirty." I remind him and he snorts.

"Just shut up and get ready to fight, Bonesy." Jim mocks and I laugh, watching the fight. It was actually pretty good, bones held his own for quite a good time before being pummeled into the ground. "That was pretty good. I must say, I am impressed, half pint. You really taught him to fight."

"Yeah, no small feat either, I can assure you. But I'm proud of you Bones. You're quite capable on your feet."

"So, you wanna go, Avery? Keep you sharp and in practice?" Jim offers, playing with a bamboo stick that was used for training. I grabbed my own and smirked.

"Bring it on, Pretty boy."

* * *

"Fascinating, Avery." The psychiatrist cuts off the woman abruptly. "Very fascinating stuff. How about, you come in tomorrow and continue the story? Maybe you'll begin to remember who you really are." He offers her and she nods, standing to go. She pauses and looks back at him.

"Can I keep coming back every day, until I finish at least?" she asks sheepishly and he nods.

"Of course. Go get some rest now." He says and she nods, leaving. She walked slowly to her small apartment that she had had keys for when she was found. She went straight to her room and closed her eyes, breathing softly.

She didn't have to wait long. _"Sorry, I was in the middle of a meeting and couldn't get loose. So, where were we in this awful thing you call a book? Something about a rabbit being late? Nope, wrong book. Ah, here we are…"_ The man's soft voice flooded her mind and he could practically see his face as he spoke, his face first nervous and slightly ruddy from hurrying to get here, then it screwing up into dislike for the book, and finally into a comfortable gaze at the book. She in fact knew where they were in the book, which in fact had nothing to do with rabbits.

He of course, stalled a minute, rambling about his day. "_Oh, and he was asking about you."_ This stopped Avery cold. _"I don't understand why he won't come visit you himself, but I think he's scared. Can he be scared? Or would you even know?"_ he rambles and she opens her eyes, blinking back a stray tear for her lost home.

"Yes, he gets so very scared…." She murmurs quietly, sadness wrenching through her words and heart with a lonesome ringing.

" _Anyway, I thought you might like to hear that. Back to the story, I guess: In the meanwhile, the dwarves sat in darkness, and utter silence fell about them. Little they ate and little they spoke. They could not count the passing of time…"_

* * *

There you go! I hope you enjoyed! more will come soon, hopefully! Don't forget to Review! It's appreciated! BYE!


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! So, thanks. this is coming out pretty quickly, I doubt others will come this quickly, but you never know. Thanks I'llLightUpTheSky4You for reviewing! It's much appreciated and really helps me out. So, here's the second installment of Remember me, myself, and the sky!

* * *

I circled him carefully, waiting to lunge out at him at the right moment. Any earlier and he would have me, any later and I would be at a disadvantage. He charged, and I moved out of the way, hitting him on the back with my stick. He turned quickly and I ducked, yelping as he brought his down onto mine, where my head once was. I knee him in the stomach, pushing him back a few feet and I kick towards his chest. He grabs my foot and uses it to knock me over. I roll to my feet and he tries to grab me.

I dance away, using the stick to slam the ground, keeping him back to an extent. He finally charges again, and I swipe my stick behind his legs, knocking him to the floor. I went to keep him down and he grabbed my leg, knocking me down and pulling me under him.

"That's a dirty move, Jim. You can't cheat in fighting." I point out, elbowing him in the jaw and squirming out from under him, effectively getting on top and pressing my foot to his throat. "I win." I say, going to bones. I see him in a mirror rise and charge and I whirl, ducking and using my arms to defend myself at the same time. After several attempts on his part to win, I flipped him on his back. "I still win." I go and grab my water bottle, ignoring his scowl.

"Well, drinks are on me, tonight, Jim." Bones declares, waving a stack of money. "You can't gamble on grounds, Leonard!" I exclaim and he rolls his eyes.

"They were fine, betting on Jim. Why is it everyone underestimates you, Lark?" he asks, using their favorite bird related nickname for me and I shoot him a murderous look.

"Because I'm small and nimble, so I look like an easy target. Growing up with an assortment foster siblings though, you learn to survive, boys. It was kill or be killed. My appearance is how I made it, Bones. It's called survival of the fittest." I say and he laughs.

"Fittest my butt. You won't even get up to get the TV remote half the time!" he exclaims and I whack him on the shoulder.

"That's because it requires moving from a comfy spot that Jim then steals and I owned you yesterday on that very mat. You died slowly as I didn't break a sweat." I boast and he rolls his eyes, grumbling about something I probably didn't want him to repeat.

"Anyway, surprisingly, we have classes. Let's get to it!" Jim interrupts and I nod.

"Fine…. I don't even remember what I have. See you guys, later!" I called, racing to the locker rooms and throwing on the uniform I kept in there for mornings like this. I wasn't a fitness nut. The emergencies were when Lin had Joe or Tyrone or Raymond or whatever his name was in our dorm.

Changing quickly I was racing down the hall when I heard a voice. "Stop running. That is against code." He says and I turn, facing one of the strictest teachers in the school march over. "Did you know it was against the rules?" he snarls and I shook my head. "Did you bother reading the rulebook?"

"I skimmed it-briefly. I know some of the rules." I reply sheepishly, lying through my teeth. I had the rulebook memorized, that way when I broke rules, I knew which ones in what combination.

"Name, Cadet." He commanded it, not asked for it and I gulped. This was it, I was going to die.

"Cadet Avery Todd, Sir." I say and he frowns deeply.

"You must be Christopher's prodigy student, the female with the attitude problems." He frowns deeply at my mentor's name and I can't help myself.

"Sir, I don't have an attitude problem. People dislike my attitude, but that's not my problem. Furthermore, you can check my records and see that I am in fact a prodigy, with a damn good mentor. And finally, I was not only breaking code 56, but 37, 24, and 8. You've just made me late to class. Have a good day, Professor." I bite out, turning and leaving the poor speechless professor in the hallway, shocked stiff.

I walk into class- which apparently as I was informed graciously by my PADD, was Xenolinguistics- late and I slid into a seat, but not before the teacher saw me. "Cadet, what is your name and why were you late to class?" he says and I stand slowly, huffing. It was the Vulcan professor from this morning.

"My name is Cadet Avery Todd. I was late after a professor held me up in the hallway." I say, loud enough so he can hear.

"What were the extenuating circumstances behind this delay, Cadet Todd?" he asks and I hear snickers throughout the class. They all knew what was going to come out of my mouth.

"Well, he reprimanded me for breaking code 56, and then insulted an admiral, so I handed him his ass on a shiny silver platter." I knew the Vulcan wouldn't understand what I meant by that, but I didn't care.

"Please stay after class." He requests and I nod, sitting. Class dragged on and I marched to the front when it was over. "Ms. Todd, I am aware that you broke a code, but the rest was unclear." He starts.

"I broke four; 56, 37, 24, and 8. And then after he insulted my mentor and father, the one Admiral Pike, I politely informed him of my rule breaking and told him his insult was false, then walked away after I was officially late for class." I explain.

"You did not appear to pay attention in class." He suddenly says and I look at him, confusion probably all over my face. "You were not focused on what I was teaching. Please, explain yourself." He says and I open my mouth. "In a federation language, not standard." He says and I close it and reopen it.

"I did pay attention, but I have trouble focusing. I have already learned the language you taught fluently, and I admit I zone out for much of it." I reply in Vulcan.

"Impressive articulation and pronunciation. You are superior in languages, yet you are marked as majoring in Strategic analyzing. Why is that?"

"I am merely capable with languages. I am quite good at strategizing though."

"Yes, I am aware of this. I watched your test." I look at him shocked. Why would he care about my test? "Admiral Pike is quite boastful of his Prodigies. I was rather impressed with your talents and natural abilities. Tell me, have you heard of the Kobyashi Maru test?" he asks after explaining himself and I nod.

"Yes, I'm well aware of this impossible test."

"Do you understand the workings of the test and the lesson it provides?"

"It's fairly simple. To make the captain face fear at the knowledge of death, with a no win scenario. It's workings and purpose is to test the captain's ability to act under pressure and to see how he reacts with his crew under danger; if he is willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of the crew. Fairly simple, once you understand the logic." I reply evenly and he quirks an eyebrow.

"And yet, you did not take it?"

"Not my field."

"None of your friends are aware of this information?"

"No. If they do not solve it themselves, then it isn't their place to beat what's seen as impossible. That's always what I hate about puzzles- the spoilers." I say.

"I'm sure you're aware I must give you detention for your late entrance. Dismissed, Cadet." He says and I nod, turning and exiting. I hurry to my next class without running, only once again to run into the strict professor.

"You there, to the headmaster's office!" he calls and I groan, but I do as he says. I plod into the office, him marching up behind me. "Here she is."

"Cadet Todd. Please, take a seat." The headmaster looks at me with a tired irritation. He now knew why the Professor was so upset, and him knowing me, he knew I had been a real smartass about the situation. I gracefully slide into the uncomfortable chair across from him. "This report reads that you were running in the hall, had intent to be late for a class, had recently engaged in a fight with another student, and…. Had a concealed weapon with intent of use?" he asks and I shrug. "Explain, Cadet."

"I was running and had the intent of being late after I was stopped by the Professor with only two minutes before the beginning of class. I had engaged in a training session previously with another student, and I had a pencil in my pocket for class." I reply calmly and if the other professor wasn't in here, he would have placed his head on the desk.

"Cadet Todd, you have been warned to not to mock professors with your bent analogy of the rules. You have no more warnings. You toe out of line on more time cadet, and you will have severe punishment. Get to class." He says and I nod, holding back my relief. I slip into class, passing the teacher my pass.

Finally, it was lunch and I sat between Jim and Bones. "I heard you got detention?" Bones immediately says and I shake my head, struggling to open my drink.

"Almost did. One more toe out of line and I'll regret it though. Thanks, Jim." I mutter as he opens my drink, not bothering to scold him for drinking it.

"Yo, Kirk. Get out here you bastard!" someone calls and I look to him.

"What did you do?" I hiss and he hunches over, trying to hide from the men.

"I made out with his girlfriend." He says hurriedly.

"Is that all?" I ask and I groan at the look on his face. "Of course not."

"You're going to die today Kirk. No one here to save your ass this time." The guy says with his posse behind him and I rise, standing over Jim.

"Sadly for you, that's not true. Walk away, Cosby." I warn and he looks amused.

"You think you can beat us? There're five us. Kirk, you've hit rock bottom, hanging with this slut." He says and I pounce, fury taking over my mind. I feel myself on top of him, throwing punch after punch. I'm thrown off and two of them grab me. I jump in their arms, kicking the charging one and shaking them off. I start violently in on them, kicking and clawing and biting all available skin I saw, before I'm knocked to the floor, jarring my thoughts. I'm hit repeatedly, but I manage to get some good hits in as well before we're broken up.

* * *

"So, you think you're an aggressive person?" the psychiatrist says when she pauses and she gives him an almost smirking nod.

"I have some anger issues, I'm not going to lie. But those dicks had it coming to them." She growls, apparently this dream still vivid and infuriating. She didn't look too guilty about the invented fight. "But back to the story…."

* * *

We waited outside for the small school wide punishment 'trial' and as I looked around, I was not the worst one in here. Scottsdale and Cosby looked the worst, Cosby's face mashed to a point where it was hard to recognize him from the swelling and Scottsdale having large gashes and bites all over him, pleasing me that I had drawn blood as well as given him a black eye.

"Will the cadets accused please come forward?" The headmaster says and I stand and walk up, the others across from me. "Please one at a time, state your names." He looked hard at me so I started.

"Cadet Avery Todd." I muttered sulkily into the mic, which picked it up nicely, carrying it across the hall. The others said their names and the official part would begin.

"Who began the fight?" all of us began to talk loudly, trying to be heard first. "Silence! Todd, who through the first Punch?"

"That wasn't your first question." I state and he look at me shocked. "You asked who started it. Cosby came over looking to fight Cadet Jim Kirk and when I defended Kirk he insulted me. I threw the first punch in retaliation to Cosby's actions."

"Very well. So, you both started it, is what you're saying?" the Professor taunts, wanting me to lose my cool.

"No, I'm saying it depends on your question. Cosby started it when he insulted me, but I threw the first punch, Professor." I say as respectively as I can. It dragged on, everyone acting like idiots until finally the verdict was reached.

"As headmaster, I cannot let this slide. You will all have academic suspension for the rest of the week. Go to the med hall and get cleaned up. Dismissed." The headmaster says and I follow everyone out relieved it was only for three days. I don't go to the nurse's office, instead I follow Bones to his room with Jim.

"You're an idiot. You'll be better taken care of with actual nurses."

"Like I would trust anyone other than you to fix my face. You're lack of faith in my loyalty wounds me." I say and he rolls his eyes, looking at my face.

"Well, you broke your nose and fractured your left eye socket, but it's all pretty fixable. Let me pop your jaw into place…" he murmurs, popping first my jaw, then my nose, letting me scream and grip Jim's hand like a lifeline both times. "I can't fix the crack in your socket, but be careful, and you'll be fine. Go to bed, drink some water, you'll be fine." he reassures me, though it sounds vaguely like he's trying to reassure himself.

I go, slinging my bag over my shoulder carelessly, heading to the computer lab/rec room. He was a fool if he honestly expected anything less than my normal nightly routine. I settled down into a comfortable chair and pulled out my laptop, lazily hacking into a small school mainframe. It was my youngest foster brother's school. I checked his grades and viewed his assignments, making a mental note to call and tutor him on trans-warp equations as promised. Then, feeling sympathy at the state of their lunch menu, I changed it up a bit. The computers would order the new menu food overnight, so my brother would have a pleasant surprise waiting at lunch.

Some people said hello, most ignored me, or left me alone was a more accurate term. I read online a bit before pulling out a chess board. Jim entered the rec and sat in front of me. We silently played two rounds before he kissed me on the forehead goodnight. He probably was sent to spy on me by Bones, or had come on free will, you never could tell with Jim. He tended to be unpredictable.

I stared at the board for hours, focusing intently on an internal chess game before heading back to my dorm. I was able to, thankfully, to sleep in my dorm. The next day was mandatory evaluations. I sat with Jim and Bones in the Rec room 3, waiting to be called.

Finally, After Jim and Bones had both disappeared, I was summoned. I stood in the room, and waiting for the council to begin. "Avery Todd?" the Professor asks, his back turned and looking at my transcripts.

"Yes." I say and he turns. It was the Vulcan.

"I'm Professor Spock. Please, take a seat." He offers and I sit in the chair offered. "Highest in your class, in face, highest in all courses you take. Highly recommended for the strategist field by Admiral Pike, though you were well suited for most fields, correct?" he asks and I nod. "Highest test scores in all aptitude, IQ, Athletic, and Academy tests. Correct?"

"Unclear. I know several other people much smarter than me."

"For your age group." He clarifies and I nod. "It says here that Pike writes 'An intellectual genius with advanced skills for her age. She's capable of quickly learning and mastering a skill, though she has little drive and focus to do so.'." he questions and I nod.

"I find little patience in skills that are easily learnable and prefer more challenging topics." I explain.

"Though you're actual academic records portray a genius, you're behavioral record states you are a less than model student with many marks on your record. You have been the cause or a part of many fights that have broken out of a part of some form of trouble."

"Yes." I don't bother defending myself. Doing so to a Vulcan was pointless.

"Furthermore, your medical records show slight asthma, severe insomnia, and history of abuse in your early years, resulting in Post-traumatic stress disorder, mild Depression, and Panic Attacks, as well as reactive attachment disorder." He states harshly, and I can see it all coming back; fists and kicks, ugly and painful words and burns, all sorts of pain inflicted on me for the sake of my mere existence. "Are these records valid?"

"Very." I murmur, not quite meeting his gaze. I just wanted to forget, yet he had to mention it.

"Your legal guardians are Christopher and Shannon Pike, though they were not until your eighteenth birthday, correct?" more questions ensue and he's much more thorough in his evaluation than some of the other teachers.

"You pass your evaluation, but do not forget your detention. I'll be supervising you in this room at exactly 18:30." he says and I resist the urge to say something rude. I leave quickly, going straight to get lunch. No classes today, but I was sure I could find something to keep me entertained till then. Jim and Bones were sitting at our table laughing and chatting.

"You survived. Did you punch the professor?" Bones inquires, generally I have detention after them.

"No, but he ridiculed me. Brought up my entire past then told me I have detention with him." I complain, stabbing my pasta.

"You poor thing." Jim sympathizes sarcastically and I stuck my tongue out. We began to talk about our Evaluations, and other friends joined us and for a while at least, I completely forgot I had detention.

* * *

Around 6:25, I headed to the Vulcan's class, mentally complaining because all my friends were going out drinking and I was stuck here for two hours. I knocked on the door politely and he opened the door.

"You are on time." He states like he had not expected me to be.

"I'm early, technically. So, what should I do?" I ask, though generally I was refilling books or sitting quietly staring at the ceiling. He sits me in a chair facing the filled board.

"Solve the problems I have written." He says and I look. They were all different and in different languages, and most importantly, were about different topics. All had easily two possible solutions. I looked at them carefully, scrutinizing them. I asked him additional questions about the situations and he occasionally would supply more information. Finally, what I'm sure was way past time for me to go, I had finished and was quite upset there wasn't more. "You learn quickly from mistakes and can handle pressure well." He remarks, erasing the board, and I go help him.

"And you're patient and can handle my frustration." I reply, grabbing my bag. "See you around I guess, Professor." I say, leaving. I skip outside and find Jim waiting. "How long have you been out here?" I ask, linking arms and he guides me to the bar.

"Only thirty minutes. Bones should be singing like a sailor by now." He says and I giggle, letting him drag me through the streets. The boys let me have a few drinks before we all went our separate ways. I clutched my jacket close to me, the wind picking up and rain becoming a more steady drizzle.

"Hey! Hey, Avery, wait up!" one of my friends, Gaila calls, and I slow my pace so she and her roommate can come over. To call Gaila a friend was probably not good wordplay since I knew all she wanted from me was Jim's- or one of my other many guy friends'- attention, but I respected her Roommate Nyota to a degree higher than her, My only problem with Nyota was her thinking herself just a tad better than everyone.

"Sup, Gaila? Nyota?" I ask as they catch up.

"Nothing much, just have to drag this drunken Orion home. What about you? What's left you alone this night?" Nyota replies, curious as to why I wasn't out drinking with my friends. I shrug noncommittally.

"You know, class tomorrow and everything. I just got back from a bar, actually. Jim and Bones took me to say sorry for not taking blame in the fight." I say, trying not to make a huge deal of it.

"So, are you guys a thing? You and Jim?" Gaila asks and I snort loudly, holding backs peals of laughter.

"A thing? Together you mean? Hell no. he's like a big brother. He doesn't like me and I don't like him. He ain't my type, Gails." I inform them and they nod, Gaila looking satisficed beyond belief. "And before you ask, none of my friends and I are a 'thing'. They're all just easier drinking buddies than women most times, no offence. But, one scotch and you can have some of them on tables caterwauling. Quality times, I must say."

"So, I heard Cosby hit you pretty hard. That's a pretty dark bruise." Nyota says, sounding slightly worried and I look away. It was true, I had a giant black bruise that went from my eye to my jaw, which throbbed painfully when mentioned. I shrugged it off.

"Yeah, it's not the worst I've seen before, thank god." I reassure her and she nods. I'm surprised she's generally concerned, since the only times we hung out were when we were studying, out clubbing, or when we had projects for the same classes.

Though, she was my dorm neighbor and we had a communal bathroom, so I guess it made sense. I scooped up Gaila's limp arm and helped drag her back to the dorms. Nyota thanked me and I went into my dorm where Lin-Shu was. It wasn't that I disliked my roommate, but she had a list of men she slept with that stretched farther than there are men in the academy. I didn't get to sleep in my room as often as I'd like and when I did she generally wasn't here. Tonight she was, and she had my newest laptop out, using it herself. It had been my fault for leaving it open. That was the only explanation, for it had an encrypted passcode that would easily take a genius to crack and Lin was as stupid as Vulcans were emotionless.

I snatched back the laptop and she pouted. "That's not fair, I need to use it." She slurs and I cringe. Dammit, she was drunk, which meant she would be whiny.

"Well, it's mine, so get you can suck it." I say turning around after placing my laptop safely in its drawer only to have her right in front of me.

"But, you have three." She points out and I sigh.

"Yes, I do. That does not mean that you have one by the extension of me having three." I skirt around her, going to my dressed and removing my tight uniform for the comfort of my loose Dallas sweatshirt and sweatpants.

"Fine, but I wasn't done." She grumbles, sitting on the bed and looking put out with me. Like I cared, which was the exact opposite. She stared at me from her bed as I pulled out my private one and I began a video call to my brother.

"Tony!" I said as his blurry face cleared.

"Avery!" he says happily. "You changed the lunch menu." He says.

"I'm not going to accept or deny that." I chuckle and he laughs. "So, how are you? Is mom good? Jacob? Brett?" I ask.

"I'm good. Mom's fine and Jacob and Brett seem to be enjoying their lives." He says laughing. "So, guess what? I got a puppy. It's a girl and we named it Lark."

"Oh hilarious. You named a dog after me? I'm touched." I say sarcastically and he giggles maniacally. Lin has gone by now. "So, I passed my test. I can graduate early with honors….."

"What'd you get in trouble for? Something to do with the bruise, right?" Tony asks, seeing right through my hesitation.

"Yep. A guy was being an assh-jerk," I catch myself, remembering that he's 11 and sheltered. "And so I punched him in the face. I only have Suspension for two more days." I wrap up quickly.

"You like to cause trouble don't you?"

"It's a bad habit, yes." He rolls his eyes. "Anyway, just wanted to check in. work on the Warpcore theorem some more, and I have to go. Night!" I say, quickly ending the call.

* * *

"So, tell me about this family you dream of?"

"Well, my mom Shannon Pike is actually my foster mom, since my birth parents were abusive. I've only been a part of the family since I was nineteen and she and Christopher are my only a legal guardians. I have three brothers that are from that family. Tony, who's 11, he's my favorite, just because he's around when I come home and talks to me more. Brett is a starship engineer, and Jacob is a settler aboard the Ambassador. They're always away. No skin off my back."

"So, Christopher managed to get you when you were older?"

"Yeah, um, he couldn't when I was little, too much paperwork, and it was easier just to come check on me and let me stay a few weekends or something in a different family. When I was eighteen, he requested guardianship over me and it was granted."

"I notice you kept your birth last name. Are you close to your family? Would you consider you to be close or more distant?"

"We're not tight. I don't feel a need to come home ever shore leave I get. I care about them, but I wouldn't consider myself really close to them. I'm closer to Christopher, Jim, and Bones than them."

"Have you tried being closer to them?"

"…No." she murmurs, considering this information.

"Well, this is all the time we have for today, but feel free to continue tomorrow." She stands but looks back at him.

"For a psychiatrist, you sure are more interested in my 'dreams' then figuring me out." She notes and he nods.

"I think if we can finish your invented story, we can crack the mystery behind your identity. See, your mind invented this tale to save you the trauma of what happened. If you can talk about your imaginary life, your real one should submerge. It's only a matter of time." He promises and she shrugs.

"Okay, but doc, this is my life. I'm not making it up." She says, leaving quickly. Returning to her apartment complex, she ate a bit then sat on the bed, waiting for night. It came slowly but finally his voice was back.

_"Right, so we finished the goddamn _Hobbit_ yesterday, you little hobbit, and so, Bones suggested I get you this one. He said you once left it at the dorm and seemed to gush when you explained it so, yeah… maybe this one will wake you up? Alright, terrible book choice number four, in progress. I mean really, what's with all the classics? Haven't you read a comic book in your life? I know you have I've seen them, so why are these your favorites?" _he once again stalls and she giggles.

"You're only upset they don't have pictures like comics." She murmurs, amused.

_"Um, he was asking about you again. I mean really, you'd think he loved you, going on and on when his girlfriend's not around, asking if you look comfortable, or if you're getting proper treatment….oh my god. Don't tell me. You're kidding me right, Avery? We're having some words when you wake up." _He says harshly and she runs her hands through her buzz cut, despising her hair. It was so short. Her hair once was long and beautiful but it was now spiky and short.

_"I guess it isn't your fault. But, wake up soon, so I can have him off my back. He refuses to visit you, and I'm done dealing with his weirdness. Anyway, story time. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much….."_

* * *

I almost didn't know where to stop this! So, obviously you can never go wrong with Harry Potter, so yeah... Anyway, please Review, Follow, Favorite, whatever, it's really helpful and inspiring so, THANKS! That's all for now, but I'll work on getting the next chapter out! Live Long and Prosper!


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